Lifting rig



April 3, 1951 1 D. sMlTH ET AL LIFTING RIG Filed Aug. l0, 1945 l, ff j a,i MM

Patentecl Apr. 3, 1951 churn) STATES f ,2,547,5012,r s n LrrrlNG RIGLeathem D. smith, can RL oilgisuapscn, Richard 1A; steam, ane'ricwaraH;Hut;sturgeofay;

Wis.; Vsaid 'Qhristian'som said Steam, and said Hunt assignors to sfaidSmithfAlva Smith ad# ministratrizl'bf Leatheln deeveliseiige Auges? .10194,5. Serial $0 6.10448 Y This invention pertains to lifting andhoisting mechanism and' has as' its principal cbiect the provision of alifting' rigadapted'" to cooperate with an especiallydesigned'containe'r such that the'histing rig' may be quickly lowareuponthze container for automatic coupling wi 'e'latter to"facilitatethe' loading and 'unloading of cargo and transport freight; i

A more particular object is the prcyision of a simplied rig andcooperating container means characterized by the'fact that the containerhas especially formed Asocket or receptacle means whicl' receiveformations on the' rig for quickly and accurately lcating the latter in,cmupling the Same .with the' @entamer- `A vfurther objectis'thrformation and disposition of locating receptacles on a cargo,freight, or package container in a' `manner'which shalleliminate'projections from the body .Of 4the container,` while'utilizing a niinimun'ifof space upon and in saidV contanertoprovide VlaSatisfactory locating :and coupling means.

r'Another objectfisthe'provision of a simplified uncouplingmeans` on therig 'which shall' been# tirelyreliable in mechanical operationg 'whichshall effect the 'uncoupling operation quickly'and positively; andLwhichfshall be of character to v reduire the minimum ,of servicingorrpirfi t Yet another obje t is t je provision of`lo'cating formationsl'on tuerig adaptedto shield' the pling nxembers againstaccidental'releaserv 0r"'ip terference from obstructionsori 'thelike'wfithout Y complicating "the construction or otherwise "renederingthe coupling"means inaccessible'. Additional objects and aspectsof novelty relate to detailsof the constrctifh fand operation of thepreferred embodimenfherein scribed, including a quick manuallrele:accessible for Operationfromadjoining des "1f the rig', andV a' simpuedcombination ctn erf- L balance and spring means for' assuring'ipos i/ ecoupling action automatically upon locating he rig onthe container; allVof which will "ap more fully as the' following "specicationproceeds inview of the annexed drawing in'whicn: Figure 1 is a Atop plan view'ofthe(lifting` rig; Figure l2 is a side" elevation of the lifting rig;Figure 3 is a vertical section along lines I3-43 of Figure lgand Figure4 is a Vperspective fragment, to enlarged scale, of the containerlocating and lcoupling means. j:

One satisfactory form of construction of the lifting lmeans orri'g isshown in Figure l, and

consists essentially of a frame lc' "f forxned'of 7 clams. (C1. zar-67)yE flanged plates H (see also Figure 2) secured together, as by weldingrother suitable means, rectangular" or gliadrilateral array so as toconforrnto the shape of the top portion l2 (Figure 3) of a container I3with which the rig is intendedto be used.

"The "corner junctures of side plates ll are reinforced with gussets i4welded to flange portions l5 on Vthe upper edges of saidplates. f

"Load carrying'rnmbers in the nature of I- beam Sections i6 and`llextend diagonally of the frame'for attachment, as by welding or thelike, to plates ll and, if desired, to gussets I4, there beingadditional g'usset's i8 (Figure) secured to the 'undermost ahg'e facesand Vplates ll at the ends of said beams'. At the intersection of thebeams lt'andf'll (Figures l, 2 and 3) is a bolt i9 extending through tieplates 2B and 2i to afford al central tie for said beams and also an eyefor engagement with a crane or hoisting l'l'OOk. v Y

At the corners of the rig vframe are depending locating orguidingmembers or legs 25` (Figures 2 and?) having inwardly projectinghorizontal seating portions Zt'KFigure 3) adapted to rest uponv thebottom portions 2l 'of combination lo eating and coupling recessesprovided at the corners of the container 13, as in Figure il. f" Meansfor automatically couplingthe rig to a container `designed forcooperation therewith, includes aV plurality, in this instance four, ofcoupling hooks SlKFigure `3)v each fast on a rod 3l f(Figure l) mountedfor rocking movement in trunnions 32 on members i8, rods3l, it beingnoted,"extending in parallelism between opposite sides ofthe rig, andthere being ytwo coupling hooks on each rod.

Also fast on rods 3^! are levers 35 disposed rat or ,near correspondingvends of their respective r`ods""adjacent one particular side` of therig. Each 1ever`f35 has connected'thereunto one end offa normalizing''springen the respective opposite ends yof which "springs are connectedoranfzheed t0' 'the tiene@ es t0 'yi@ ldfvgly oek rds .3! e V,C,.0,1.,1.,r1f1@1f-,010ckruse directionc Means orreEasabh actuating .theCoupling meansincludes a ,pair of shafts and ,4i each provided at itsouter end with a small' operating handle ,4,2 A(Figures l and2) disposedin a recess .43 formed Lin adjoining plates I {,the inner end portionsof .these shafts being journaled' 1in the Vweb partof onebf'theI-bearnsI5, said end portions of Lthe shafts having iixed 'thereon coacting-gears and 4,5, whereby rotative or rock"- 3 ing motion of one shaftwill be transmitted to the other.

The shaft 40 extends in parallelism with the coupling shafts 3|, whilethe remaining release shaft 4I extends transversely of coupling shaft 3|and release shaft 4D, and motion for rocking of the coupling shafts 3|is accordingly taken from release shaft 40 by means of a small sheave 48(Figures 1 and 3) fast thereon and having a cable 49 wound thereon withopposite ends attached to the free end portions of rocking levers 35 forshafts 3|.

Thus, a clockwise turning of either operating handle 42 will result in amovement of the levers 35 inwardly of the frame, and a consequentrocking of the coupling hooks 30 in a direction outwardly of the frame,for purposes hereinafter described.

In Figure 4 is shown the combination locating and coupling formation andmeans for the container I3, the same consisting of adjoining plateportions 5E] and 5| sloping downwardly to a juncture with the seatingplate or formation 21, and having contiguous edge portions 52 disposedinwardly from the corner 53 of the container. A coupling recess 5d isprovided in plate 5I, said recess having a sloping wall portion 55pitched downwardly toward seating portion 2l, and a coupling lug 56extending across the upper margin of said coupling recess in plate 5|,and under which hooks 3E! engage in the manner illustrated in Figure 3.

The construction of the locating and coupling formations is uniformexcepting that they are made in right and left hand sets for cooperationwith right and left hand hooks 35, as will be apparent from Figure 3,there being one of these coupling devices at each of the four uppercorners of the container I3.

In the use of the novel lifting rig, containers I3 loaded with freightare handled safely and quickly by lowering the rig from the usual crane,hoist or the like, by means of a hook engaged in eye I9, onto the top ofthe container and manually guiding the rig so that the locatingprojections or legs seat in locating and coupling recesses in the mannerillustrated in Figure 3 with flange portions 26 of these legs seatedupon portions 2l of the recesses.

As the rig seats home on the container, hooks 3Q, and particularly thedownwardly depending counterbalance portions 35a thereof, which arepitched or cammed inwardly of the hook, engage lugs 5S, causing thehooks to rock so that the hook portions thereof will engage under thelug portions by action of springs 36 in restoring the hooks to normalposition as soon as the rig is fully seated upon the container. iIhus,the coupling operation is automatic, as also is the locating operationonce the rig is properly oriented by the craneman or stevedore fordescent upon the container, it being evident in this connection that thepitching of recess walls 5I and 54, and consequent location of lugs 55,causes the rig to be guided into proper position coincidentally with theslippage of hook portions 35a over lugs 5E, as can be visualized frominspection of Figure 3.

When it is desired to release the rig from the container, it is merelynecessary to turn one of the handles 42 a fraction of a revolutionclockwise, thereby winding in cables 49 a small amount to rock levers 35in a direction inwardly of the rig, with a consequent rocking of hooksout of engagement with lugs 56, whereupon the rig 4 is free to behoisted, hooks 30 being restored to normal position by actions ofsprings 36 as soon as handles 42 are freed.

The novel rig, inclusive of the container and coupling means thereon,greatly simplifies and expedites cargo handling by reason of theautomatic locating and coupling features described. There are no partsexposed to injury or obstructively disposed either on the container orrig, so that the device is especially suited to operation in closequarters such as are encountered in cargo holds and the like, and thecontainers, by reason of the absence of obstructive projections orparts, lend themselves readily to the most eflicient and economicalstowage. The foregoing advantages, together with the simplicity andrugged structural and functional qualities of the device, render thesame a considerable improvement over prior devices of this class whichare objectionable, among other things, because they involve relativelycomplexv structural and operative features, or because of the presenceof obstructive parts which are exposed to injury or interfere withstowage in one way or another.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and wish tosecure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A hoisting rig comprising a freight container having upwardly openrecessed leg sockets having coupling elements therein mounted at uppercorner parts thereof, aframe adapted to lit onto the top of saidcontainer and having downwardly depending legs adapted to seat in saidleg sockets to guide the frame into predetermined coupling position onsaid container, and coupling elements mounted on the frame and guidedlyengaged with said coupling elements on the container and responsive tomovement of said frame into said predetermined position.

2. In a hoisting rig, in combination, a freight container, upwardly openrecessed leg sockets having coupling formations therein mounted at uppercorners of said container, a rig formed to fit closely against the topof said container, depending guide legs on the rig arranged to seat insaid container sockets, and coupling elements associated with each legon said rig and automatically engageable with said coupling formationson the container by action of lowering of the rig onto the container,together with means on said rig operable to uncouple said couplingmeans.

3. In a hoisting rig, in combination, a container having a top withcorner portions thereon, said corner portions being inwardly recessedwith vertically extensive wall portions, a vertically pitched recess insaid wall portions at ,each said corner portion, lug means across eachsaid pitched recess for coupling purposes, and a rig adapted to belowered upon said top and provided with a plurality of pendant locatingprojections each receivable in one of said recessed corner portions,together with hook means adjacent each said locating projection and eachreleasably engageable with one of said lug means when said rig ispositioned on said container top to couple the rig to the container.

4. In a hoisting rig, a substantially rectangular frame, hollow locatinglegs pendant from corner portions of said frame, hook means pivotedwithin said locating legs, spring means yieldingly pivo ting said hookmeans to a normal coupling position, mechanism movable with said frameand operable to pivot said hook means from normal position to releasedposition, and, container means including coupling elements engageable bysaid hook means when said frame is disposed on said container means,said coupling means of the container being disposed within leg socketsthereof, said locating legs being disposed in said leg sockets when saidhook means is engaged with the coupling means as aforesaid.

5. In combination, a hoisting rig and a cargo container having a topportion adapted for intertting relation with said rig, upwardly openrecesses in said top portion, a hook lug in each said upwardly openrecess, hooks on said rig each engageable with one of said lugs forcoupling the rig with the container, locating legs depending from therig intertting with said upwardly open recesses respectively to disposethe rig in a predetermined coupling position with the container, andmeans accessible on at least two adjoining sides of said rig for movingsaid hooks out of coupling relation with corresponding hook lugs.

6. In a hoisting rig, a substantially rectangular frame adapted to belowered upon a cargo container, a plurality of rock shafts extending inparallelism between opposite sides of said frame, coupling elements onsaid shafts' and movable with their respective shafts in a directioninwardly of the frame and toward the elements on the opposite shaft to acoupling position, means yieldingly urging said shafts to disposecorresponding coupling elements in coupling position, a rst releaseshaft extending from one side of said frame in parallelism with saidrock shafts, manipulating means for said first release shaft disposed ina recess in said last-mentioned side of the frame, means operativelyinterconnecting said rst release shaft with said rock shafts whereby thelatter may be moved in uncoupling operation, at least, by actuation ofsaid manipulating means, a second release shaft extending in a sensetransversely of said rock shafts and having manipulating means disposedin a recess in a second side of said frame adjoining that of saidfirst-mentioned manipulating means, and

means drivingly interconnecting said release shafts whereby manipulationof either in a predetermined manner will eect rocking movement of allsaid rock shafts and the corresponding hook means for `the purpose setforth.

7. In a cargo handling device, a cargo container having a substantiallyrectangular top with sockets at the corners thereof and respectivelyopening into said top and two adjoining sides of said container, saidsockets each having a bottom v portion constituting a seating ledge andside walls sloping convergently toward the corresponding ledge, eachsaid socket having a recess in one of the said sloping wails thereof, ahook engaging bar across each said recess, together with a substantiallyrectangular rig adapted to seat down upon said container top and havinglocating legs at the corners thereof and each adapted to seat home uponone of said seating ledges, and hook means adjacent each said leg andsituated for engagement with one of said bars by seating of thecorresponding leg in the corresponding socket.

LEATHEM D. SMITH. CARL R. CHRISTIANSON. RICHARD A. STEARN. HOWARD H.HUNT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the

